


Heat and Krypton

by The_Great_Pumpkin



Series: Land of Issues and Strilondes [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Brother Feels, Conflict Resolution, Family Issues, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Post-Canon, Self-Esteem Issues, although it's more like self-deprecation, but only mentioned briefly - Freeform, davejadekat (mentioned), uhhh or at least the start of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25363192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Great_Pumpkin/pseuds/The_Great_Pumpkin
Summary: Dirk can't in good conscience allow himself to get close to Dave after finding out about what Bro did to him.Only problem is, Dave won't let him run away so easily.
Relationships: Dave Strider & Dirk Strider
Series: Land of Issues and Strilondes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836688
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	Heat and Krypton

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda hurried to finish and post this so some parts got less editing than I would've liked, but I hope you can still enjoy it!

Dave walks back into the apartment like he's waiting for something to jump him out of the shadows. He stands in the middle of the living room, hands in his pockets and shades shoved high up on his nose, as if he's the intruder, and not you. _You_ are hovering in the middle of the doorway like a damn vampire.

"This place's been outta commission for a good few thousand years, but at least there's some stuff I can get behind." He's turned away from you, but it's obvious when something catches his eye. His motions are languid but expressive, a clock perfectly timed but ringing out of sync. "Like uh, the Xbox, that was pretty cool, except I don't think it works anymore which is a shame. But it does make me kinda nostalgic." He turns to you completely, and his face is forcedly blank. "Uh, well, for you not so much, but antique video games straight from their source sound like a pretty cool gaming experience when I think about it."

He's rambling, which means he's nervous, which means great job, Dirk, for your momentous contribution to this fucking shit show. "Dave, it's not like I haven't ever encountered 'antique video games', as you put it. In fact my bro left me quite a collection, which I have studied significantly, mind you. I doubt there could be any games in there that I haven't yet played." You backtrack when you realize Dave was just trying to find a point of mutual interest to make things less awkward. "But we can still play something if you'd like."

Dave flops his hand around in your general direction. "Nah, there's no point if you've already played everything. We could, uh, look around and shit. Taking a walk down memory lane am I right, just a regular boring ol' stroll for two incredibly irregular dudes who happen to be genetically related but were kept from each other like twins from one of those pauper and prince stories. I mean, I guess we are, kind of, considering you're a literal prince --" he cuts himself off and looks straight at you. It's awkward, because neither of you can see past each other's shades from this distance, so you've got the Striderian poker face reflected back at you. Dave starts off again, trying to pass it off as casual. "And if you feel like it, maybe come in instead of standing like a statue in the doorway? I dunno dude, doesn't seem very comfortable there."

"I didn't want to interrupt your moment of nostalgia." Dave snorts at that, but his face remains otherwise stone cold. And you know that's on you, because Dave is not naturally a cold person.

"Dude, are you serious? It's hells more awkward if I'm roaming around here by myself while you creepily watch from the doorway. I would've pinned you more as an exhibitionist, not a voyeur, but you know, whatever floats your boat." Your mouth twitches at the corners. You're still not convinced if you should go in or not, but Dave remains rooted to his spot, still staring at you. Against the voice in the back of your head screaming to retreat, you take a step in the room and keep going. You go to stand next to Dave.

"Cool. So. There's not much to see here other than my room. You wanna take a look?" It's said casually, like an afterthought, but you notice the way Dave's fingers catch on his jeans then fall back down at his side.

"We don't have to. Really, I don't mind sitting here and just playing video games with you." Now that you're closer, you can sort of see the way he's staring at you, as if he's considering something, the cogs whirring in his head, stuck in a constant loop. You wonder if your own Bro had that same stare as he lived his life, knowing he would have to face the Condesce and die anyway.

...maybe you should stop projecting your issues onto Dave.

"Hey, no, why do you think I brought you here with me specifically, so we could just stare at each other in awkward silence? I want you to see my room. And also, isn't this your home too by association?"

_Yes_ , you want to tell him, _but I don't have the right to it_.

"Technically, no," you say instead. "This is the apartment you grew up in. Although it bears an uncanny resemblance to mine, there are many features that are not the same." Like your self from the beta session, to which you can only say, nice going there fucking up another innocent person.

"Okay, guess that wasn't the best argument on my side, but dude. You really don't wanna see all the embarrassing shit I've got lying around? Literally thirteen years worth of it. No photos though, otherwise I'm filing a complaint to Jade and she'll kick your ass." The words rush out of his mouth, and he doesn't seem to notice, or if he does, he doesn't seem to want to stop them. He waits a few seconds for your response, and then sighs.

"I'm dragging you in if I have to." And then he takes your forearm and drags you to his room. His hand is warm and kind of sweaty on your cold skin, and it reminds you of Jake's awkward moments of affection. Earnestness, and a sweet naivete. Except, you have to remind yourself, you really don't know enough about Dave to judge him on that front.

"Dave," you say when you get to his room. He opens the door with his elbow, eyes trained on you.

"C'mon, we're already here." He doesn't whine, but there's something childish about his voice when he says that, something insistent and hopeful.

"Dave," you say, slowly. You measure your words, because you don't want to hurt Dave (again, your mind supplies). You just want to make him understand. "I understand that you want to come back to something negative in your life and enforce a positive experience, but considering your experience with my beta self, I don't think I'm the best choice for you."

"Dude." He keeps his voice neutral, but his hand feels uncomfortably warm on your arm now despite his grip having stayed the same. "We hashed this out already. I know you're different from him." He nudges the door fully open with his foot and pulls you inside. "I brought you 'cuz I _wanted_ you here, end of story."

You stop in the middle of the doorway again, and Dave looks at you with his mouth pulled in. You take back your arm and he lets go. "We didn't hash anything out. We just established how royal of an asshole and piece of shit of a human being I was to you."

Dave pauses, his eyebrows scrunched subtly enough to miss. "Okay," he concedes. "Maybe we _didn't_ hash anything out, cuz otherwise it would've been clear that I don't blame you for the shit my Bro pulled." He blows some air through his nose. "I'm a Time player. You think I don't know what it's like having a fuck ton of versions of you that aren't technically you? I was ass deep in versions of myself in our session, and I had my own hangups over that sorta shit, but that doesn't matter anymore."

All the while, he's rubbing his fingers on his jeans, where he probably thinks you won't see it. You know that's a sign you're not helping, but your conscience is gnawing you raw because Dave doesn't know what he's getting into, when you should've made it clear from the start.

"Your example creates a false equivalency there. The reason this matters is because clearly it's still affecting you."

Dave eyes you through his shades. "Why're you so bent on batting against yourself here? I've already said I want you here, what more do you need?"

"I --". That makes you pause. "You're not fully over him. My presence will only exacerbate negative associations you have with this place and stunt your healing process. I know it may seem like I'm overstepping here, but you're clearly uncomfortable. I really don't think this is a good idea."

"I don't know what bull you think you've figured out there, but it's clearly not anchored in reality." He throws his hands up. "Listen, the whole reason I brought you here was cuz I want you in my life instead of him. We can go outside, hang out at the beach, whatever. But I don't wanna see him when I look at you. I don't want Bro, I want you." You're close enough to see how his red eyes bore through you. It's not intimidating, but there is determination behind those eyes that you've forgotten even existed.

You don't have a good way of responding to that. And Dave doesn't deserve any more of your self-deprecation. You fall silent. He sighs, loudly this time.

"Okay, you still don't look satisfied by that. Can you just trust me that I know what I'm doing here? Please?" And the way he looks at you is so un-Strider-like that you feel something in the back of your mind shift. His face has softened up from its rigid poker face, and you are reminded of the times you've seen him around his friends, around Karkat, the way he slides into personal space to ruffle hair or to poke affectionately, in a way that reminds you of Roxy.

"Uh, am I gonna get a response to that, or are you just gonna leave me hanging on the metaphorical rope?"

"Yeah, I -- sorry." And it's a word that sticks in the back of your throat like slime, because it finally hits you that Dave actually wants you here, that he's probably thought about this as much as you have, and you can't by any stretch of logic deny that. You've just been an asshole, again. "I think I haven't figured out my issues in the way I thought I did."

Dave snorts, but the corners of his mouth turn upwards. "I'm pretty sure literally none of us have anything figured out, but okay." He walks over to his bed, unceremoniously dropping his whole body on it.

You're still standing idly in the middle of his room, and you kind of want to stuff your hands in your pockets because otherwise you might actually start fidgeting like Dave. Speaking of which, he sits up, leaning back on his hands. "Dude, don't just stand there, come here. You look so uncomfortable standing that it's making _me_ uncomfortable just knowing you're stuck there." You join him on the bed, and he rearranges some of the pillows so you have more space to spread out if you want to.

"I know we haven't really solved anything else with this, but. I don't wanna have another bro just pass me by." His voice is quiet, as if he's just talking under his breath to himself. "And I've talked to Karkat and Jade about it." His face tenses a little, and then relaxes again. "We're. Dating, and shit."

"Oh. I suppose the only thing left to say is congratulations, then."

He laughs, and it's the lightest sound you've ever heard from Dave. "Yeah, thanks. Not gonna lie, it's pretty fucking awesome."

He looks at you again, but this time you're not sure where to pinpoint the stare on the scale of determined to soft. You let that go, for now. "You deserve a chance to be happy too, you know. You don't have to wallow in whatever pool of self-sacrificial shit you're in right now. I've tested out the pool, and I'm not gonna lie, it sucks really bad."

You wish it were that easy. "Not to discount your inspiring words here, but, and I quote from the tome of generic human proverbs, it's not as easy as it sounds."

"Yeah well, I'm just saying." He pauses again, mouth half-open, about to formulate a response. "Can I hug you?"

You freeze for a second, then remember to relax your shoulders because Dave can see it from this close up -- has already seen it -- and if he's asking maybe you should trust him that he knows what he's doing. "Okay."

He pulls you into a hug. It's not as awkward as the last time you did it, but it's still a Strider hug down to its core.

Which, you decide, maybe is not so bad.


End file.
